


Trenchcoat Adventures

by ericsonclan



Series: Fantasy Hijinks AU [8]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Disguise, Escape, F/M, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26098246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: Louis, Violet and Clementine must find a way to escape the jail cell they have been thrown in even as Louis and Violet do not trust the former thief Clementine.
Relationships: Clementine/Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: Fantasy Hijinks AU [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797862
Kudos: 6





	Trenchcoat Adventures

**Author's Note:**

> (by Linnea)

The halflings let out a pained grunt as they were thrown in the cell, struggling to get up as the door slammed shut. 

“Shit.” Violet grumbled as she walked over towards the door. 

“You okay?” Louis rubbed his back, a pained expression on his face when he reached a sore spot. 

“I’m fine.” Violet replied, glancing around the cell. “You?” 

“I’m good. My butt will be bruised for the next few days but yeah.” Louis gave a smile towards his friend before staring at the other halfling girl. Emotions swirled through his heart, fighting within him as he looked at her. It would be rude not to ask how she was doing. She may not hold to the kindness of halflings but that didn’t mean he didn’t. “What about you?” 

The girl looked up with wide eyes, shocked by his question before glancing down at her feet again. “I’m okay. We should focus on trying to escape.” Her voice was calm but her body betrayed her real emotions as it shook. She must be worried about the human child that was with her.

Louis felt somewhat bad for her, but one question was still eating at him. “Tell me,” Louis’ voice was serious as he walked towards her, “I have to know why you would tarnish the halfling name!” 

“Really, Louis?” Violet hissed. “There are more important things.”

“I know! But this is too. For a halfling to steal from her own kind… it’s just too cruel.” He shook his head, dreadlocks swaying back and forth with each turn before he focused his attention on the girl once again.

She looked annoyed by his statement. “I don’t owe anything to the halfling name. No halfling has ever done right by me!” She crossed her arms and glared back at him. “You don’t know what it’s like being thrown out on the street, struggling to survive each day after those you thought would help you turned their backs on you. This pride you have in being a halfling? The honor that you think I should hold onto for being one? It doesn’t exist for me.” 

Louis’ eyes grew larger before his head fell, a level of sadness in his eyes. “You were thrown out onto the streets?” His voice was filled with concern as he looked at her. 

“Yes, by our very kind. Since then it’s just been me and AJ.”

Louis’ face dropped at her words. A few minutes passed before he got up the courage to ask the other question that burned in his mind. “But why did you steal from us?” 

“At first it was because you seemed like easy targets and I was right.” The halfling girl leaned her back against the wall.

“But you stole _everything_. You didn't have to go that far. You even joined us in trying to find the coin purse that your kid took!” Louis snapped. "What kind of sick joke was that?"

“I…” the girl paused. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t right. As I walked with you I realized that you weren’t those kind of halflings. But I thought you were foolish travelers all the same.” She paused, thinking carefully about her next few words. “It was only when you risked your life to push me and AJ out of the way that I realized that it wasn’t foolishness but genuine goodness that you had. It’s been so rare these days. I guess I forget what it looked like.” 

Louis looked down at the floor, processing the words he had just heard. Letting out a sigh, he looked up before giving a small smile. “We should start over then.” He extended his hand. “I’m Louis.” 

The girl stared at the hand for a second, hesitating before extending her own. “Clementine.”

“That’s Violet.” He gestured towards the blonde halfling as she studied the door. 

Violet glanced at them before turning her attention back to the door.

“Hi, Clementine, it’s nice to meet you.” Louis said, trying to get Violet to open up.

“What he said.” Violet mumbled. “Listen, I don’t know if I can trust you yet or not like Louis can, but we need to work together to break out. The others are probably worried about us.” 

“I understand. Do either of you have anything in your pockets?” Clementine asked, stepping towards the door.

“Why?” 

“I can pick the lock if I have the right item.” 

“Oh, okay.” Louis quickly spilled out the contents of his pockets. Violet soon followed suit. Looking through the items, Clementine found a suitable one to pick the lock: a hair trinket Louis had bought for Violet that she never wore but always carried. Inserting it into the lock, she shifted it, moving through the mechanism before finding the right spot. With a quick flick of her wrist the lock opened. 

Louis whistled, impressed by the technique. But there was no time to talk: they needed to escape. The three halflings shuffled out, making their way down the hall. Suddenly they froze. Footsteps echoed through the hall as a guard ran forward. “Halt!” 

Clementine turned towards the other two. “You guys run and get out of here! I’ll distract the guard!” 

“What? But-” Louis' protest was cut off.

“There’s no time. Now go!” Clementine sprinted forward towards the guard before the two could object. Violet and Louis looked at each other, shocked by Clementine’s sacrifice. Not wasting a moment, the duo sprinted forward themselves, both throwing a punch at the guard and hitting him square in the stomach. He fell over with a loud thump. With one more swift hit to the head he was unconscious. 

Clementine looked at them, confused by how events had just played out. “Why did you do that? I gave you an out - we would have been even,” 

“Because it was the right thing to do.” Louis replied easily. “You seem like a good person."

“Anyone who would do that has got to be.” Violet had a small smile pulling on the corners of her lips. “But we need to get out of here before more guards show up.”

“Right,” Clementine ran forward to lead the way out. It didn’t take long for the three halflings to find the stairs, their footsteps hitting against the cold brick as they ascended them. When they arrived at the top they noticed a guard post. Clementine watched the guard carefully before pulling the two halflings forward and guiding them to sneak by the guard post and slide out the door.

“We should get disguises.” Louis whispered, “Or we could get caught again.”

“Good idea.” Clementine nodded.

Louis quickly looked around before snagging a long brown trench coat off a nearby clothes line. 

Violet’s eyes widened. “Louis, please tell me your idea is not what I think it is.” 

Louis gave a confident, mischievous smile. It was. The three halflings stood one on top of another as they draped the coat over themselves. This caused them to look like an unusually tall human. 

Violet’s legs shook violently underneath her. Louis’ commands were the only guidance to the world around her as she blindly walked forward. “Why am I on the bottom?” Violet grumbled, her feet struggling to walk in a straight line. 

“Because you’re the strongest of the three of us,” No one responded to that, Violet knew she was stronger than Louis; as for Clementine she was unsure.” A little to your left.” Louis signaled with his head even though his friend couldn’t see his gesture. 

Violet followed his instruction, leading the three halflings to collide straight into the side of a building. “Ow! Shit, Louis. What the fuck was that?” 

“Oops, sorry. I meant my left.” 

“We all have the same left, Louis.” Clementine grumbled. Her nose ached from running into that building.

“Right, of course." They walked along for several minutes, mumbling quietly to themselves as they stumbled clumsily down street after street. "Oh, there’s an inn.” Louis suddenly exclaimed. “We should stop by there and take a break.” 

“I agree. It’s getting late so maybe we can get a room and search more for the others in the morning.” Violet’s voice was slightly muffled behind the thick coat.

“But AJ…” Clementine protested. “I need to find him,”

“Best to lay low for one night rather than risking being caught out on the streets and taken back to jail,” Violet reasoned.

“Vi’s right. And considering he was near our group when we were taken, I bet they took AJ along with them to keep an eye on him till you got back,” 

Louis’ statement seemed to set Clem’s mind a little more at ease. “Alright… but we’re heading out at first light,”

“Finally, a good night’s sleep in an actual bed!” Violet declared happily.

 _Just one bed? I guess with a human sized bed it would be three halflings to a bed._ Louis’ heart thumped at the thought. _So what order should we sleep in? I could sleep next to Clem, but then..._ His thoughts were cut off by Violet’s uneven breathing.

“Well, Louis, what way is the inn?”

“Just walk forward and it’s two skips and a hop away!” 

The three tried to maintain their balance as they stumbled into the inn and headed toward the innkeeper. 

Louis gave his usual charismatic smile, trying his best to act natural. “Hello, good sir. A room for one, please.” Louis held up one finger.

The innkeeper stared at him suspiciously. Louis held his smile, hoping it would help.

“Wait. Louis?!?” A familiar voice caused his head to turn. It was Brody. She ran forward with Omar following close behind. 

“Brody!” Louis exclaimed. He was so happy to see her again he swung towards her, causing the three halflings to lose their balance and tumble to the floor with a heavy thud. All three groaned, rubbing their heads delicately before Violet and Louis jumped up. Brody! Omar!” The two halflings ran forward, overjoyed to see their friends. Brody ran forward, kneeling and skidding as she swept them up into a hug. Omar quickly joined in as well, a small smile on his face.

“Oh, I’m so happy you’re okay! I was so worried.” Brody let out a sigh of relief, wrapping all three halflings in a comforting and warm hug.

Violet and Louis melted into the hug, both of them happy to be reunited again.

Brody glanced up, her eyes suddenly hardening as she stood. She stepped forward, pushing the three halflings behind her as she held out an arm protectively. “What’s she doing here?” Brody eyed Clementine warily. She wasn’t going to let her friends get hurt again.

Clementine stood by awkwardly, feeling the intensity of her gaze.

“No, it’s okay.” Louis jumped forward and stood by Clementine’s side. “She’s a good halfling!” 

“Yeah.” Violet sidestepped Brody’s arm before joining Louis’ side. “She helped us escape and even risked her own freedom to give us a chance to get back to you.”

Brody studied the halflings’ faces and saw the genuine trust in their eyes before looking back at Clementine. Her face brightened in a warm smile. “Well, if Louis and Violet think you’re good, then that’s good enough for me. How about we grab some food? You all must be starving.” 

Clementine stared in awe at the people she had once stolen from not too long ago. All of them welcomed her with open arms. She couldn’t believe their openness.The group gathered around a table filled with food. Laughter and smiles filled the air as they shared their meal. Clementine felt herself smile. _Maybe there really were good halflings after all._


End file.
